We visited Renee's Place a couple weeks ago, a Chinese restaurant whose street vibe is quite different than your average Chinese place. This is what we ate:
Shanghai Juicy Steamed Buns
Delicate, steamed spoon-sized dumplings filled with broth and ground pork, served with Shanghai-style ginger-vinegar sauce.
These were tasty, served before our meal. As per usual, they were hot and I was hungry so while I can testify they were good, I can't say just how good because I tended to hot!hot!hot! them down my throat before my tongue was able to fully explore the offering.
Lion's Head
Pork meatballs lightly fried then steamed with ginger and scallions, reserved juice reduced over high flame, dressed over meatballs and a bed of spinach.
THIS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TRIP. I can't possibly hope to begin to express how delicious and flavorful and perfect these meatballs were. This are worth the trip to Renee's. Unquestionably the highlight of our visit. Buy three or four plates, methinks.
Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
Stir fried broccoli, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, zucchini and Napa cabbage.
All the vegetables were good, but the mix and sauce and whatever were a bit unremarkable. Perhaps this means it was healthier? Who knows. Anyway, it was boring.
Iron Plate Beef
A combination of broccoli, mushroom, green onion, baby corn, stir-fried in black pepper and garlic sauce. Served on a heated iron plate with fresh julienned onions.
This is just what it says, and good, if a little dull. Much like the mixed vegetables in that way.
Steamed Organic Brown Rice
It was only half full and we resented how little rice this represented, but we changed our minds when we ran out just at the right time. Granted, this probably means we paved ourselves and thus ate less than rice than usual, but that's probably not a bad thing.
So it appears that pork is the way to go at Renee's. Definitely get some Lion's Head. What else you get is up to you, but I would recommend neither of our other two entrees. Try something else.
